5 of the World’s Top Historical Sites

There are many excellent reasons to travel, with the most common ones being to visit loved ones, seeing the beauty of the world, and visiting historical sites. When it comes to history, the planet is filled with places to visit. These are five of the best historical sites on the globe.

1.The Berlin Wall, Germany

The famous wall was erected in 1961 by the German Democratic Republic. It was known back then as the anti-fascist protection wall as it separated the city of West Berlin from East Berlin and East Germany.

Over the years, it’s believed that 100 people at least died at the wall while trying to escape to the west. In 1989 the wall was knocked down. However, you can still see where it stood today.

2. Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USA

The Japanese Air Force attacked Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor back in 1941, prompting America to join the Second World War. Ironically, Japan attacked the US to keep the nation out of the war that Japan planned on waging against the Netherlands and Britain in Southeast Asia.

Pearl Harbor is a famous National Historic Landmark district. It features a museum ship in the harbour and the sunken warship USS Arizona rests there.

3. Stonehenge, England

This mysterious prehistoric monument is located close to the town of Salisbury and historians figure it was built about 2500 BC, but don’t know by who exactly, and why. It’s a popular UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s still clouded in mystery.

Some people say it used to be an ancient burial site as cremated remains and hundreds of burial mounds have been found there. Since the 1800s, followers of paganism and Druids have taken to visiting Stonehenge each year for the summer solstice.

4. Machu Picchu, Peru

This fascinating site was built by the Incas in the early 15th century as a residence for emperor Pachacuti. When the Spanish invaded the area it was abandoned. However, an American historian rediscovered it back in 1911. It’s now one of the world’s top historical attractions.

5. The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

This is the largest of the buildings that were constructed in the Roman Empire. It was erected between 70 and 80 AD and could house about 50,000 spectators for a variety of events.

These included gladiator contests, chariot races and historical re-enactments. It was also used as a quarry and storage area in the medieval times.